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ranks, without exception, go to market, and carry home 

 what they have bought. They rise as soon and go to 

 bed as late, as any of the people in the house. I have 

 been assured that, in general, their fortunes are not 

 considerable ; which are rendered still more scarce by 

 the number of children, and the small revenues in a 

 house. The girls, at Montreal, are very much displeased 

 that those, at Quebec, .get husbands sooner than they. 

 The reason of this is, that many young gentlemen who 

 come over from France with the ships, are captivated 

 by the ladies, at Quebec and marry them ; but as these 

 gentlemen seldom go up to Montreal, the girls there 

 are not often so happy as those of the former place. " 



" The ladies in Canada are generally of two kinds ; 

 •some come over from France and the rest, natives. The 

 former possess the politeness peculiar to the French 

 nation; the latter may be divided into those of Quebec 

 and Montreal. The first of these are equal to the French 

 ladies in good breeding, having the advantage of fre- 

 quently conversing with the French gentlemen and 

 ladies, who come every summer with the king's ships, 

 and stay several weeks, at Quebec, but seldom go to 

 Montreal. The ladies of this last place are accused by 

 the French of partaking too much of the pride of the 

 Indians, and of being much wanting in French good 

 breeding. What I have mentioned above of their 

 dressing their head too assiduously, is the case with all 

 the ladies throughout Canada. On those days when 

 they pay or receive visits, they dress so gayly, that 

 one is almost induced to think their parents possessed 

 the greatest dignities in the state. The Frenchmen, 

 who considered things in their true light, complained 

 very much that a great part of the ladies in Canada 

 had got into the pernicious custom of taking too much 

 care of their dress, and squandering all their fortunes 

 and more, upon it, instead of sparing something for 

 future times. They are no less attentive to know the 

 newest fashions ; and they laugh at each other, when 



